A few weeks ago, you the voters of Pennsylvania’s 9th district did something extraordinary. You selected me, a constitutional conservative and registered Republican, to represent you on the Democratic ticket this fall. In doing so, you poked the bear and unleashed the full fury of established power brokers, professional politicians, and special interests from both parties.
As many of you know, I served in the active duty Coast Guard for 29 years. When a big storm was coming, we’d warn the whole crew to “stand by for heavy rolls.” That warning seems appropriate here too. This election will be bumpy and the opposition will be fierce. But the effort is necessary, because we have a moral duty to stand against corruption and the special interests politics that Bill Shuster has represented for too long.
Your decision to nominate me is unique, even ironic, and shows that this election is not about Republicans vs. Democrats, but a battle between Washington Insiders and We the People.
Insiders, regardless of party, love their power and will do almost anything to keep us from taking it back. Already, establishment Democrats and Republicans are aligning to suppress us and marginalize the voters who voted for us this election cycle. Leaders of these parties pretend to hate each other. But their differences pale in comparison to their hatred for what this campaign represents.
We represent independence and the will of the people. We represent reform and accountability. We are an independent coalition of constitutional conservatives, Reagan Democrats, moderate reformers, lifelong Republicans and fed-up Americans with a rock solid commitment to tearing down Washington’s corrupt power structures, reforming our government and ending corrupt insider deals.
This campaign has never enjoyed the support of deep-pocketed organizations, corporations, or Beltway lobbyists. Most of our financing has come from family and individual contributors. In the recent primary we were outspent 15 to 1, yet still managed to make the ballot. You did that. You stood up and made your voice heard.
I ask that you stand with me and see this voyage through. Together, we have an opportunity to send a message to Washington that, regardless of party, corruption will not stand. This fall, you will do that by sending me to Washington to stand for you and the values of our community. Our representative must represent us, and put our interests ahead of special interests.

Art Halvorson, candidate for 9th District Congress

Why vote for Trump?

It simply is beyond my comprehension why anyone other than a hate-filled bigot would cast his or her precious vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
How many racial slurs must Trump utter before one realizes that, indeed, he is a racist? How often does he have to refer to women in vulgar terms before it becomes obvious that he is a sexist? How many veterans or their families does a draft-dodger need to denigrate before the thought of him being Commander in Chief is revolting? And how many disabled or handicapped people does he have to caricaturize before it becomes apparent that empathy is something of which he hasn't an iota of understanding?
To be sure, his opponent is less than inspiring. Both major political parties have dealt us very disappointing hands. If, in a nation of more than
300 million citizens, this is the cream of the crop, something is very wrong.

Jack Shoemaker, Fayetteville

Unstable candidate

With respect to the DNC hacking, I am a 78-year-old registered Republican eager for change but not eager enough to support a candidate who has once again demonstrated he would be an unstable off-the-cuff commander in chief who without realizing it could send Kim Jong Un into a suicidal loss-of-face rage, resulting in a North Korean sub launching a nuclear war head over the U.S., causing an EMP to shut down our digitally controlled nation, leaving us incredibly vulnerable. It’s probably not going to happen but I have grandchildren and I’m just not 100% sure.